Here are quick looks at two upcoming Wii U games: New Super Mario Bros. U and Sing Party. One is the quintessential platformer while the other is a karaoke party game. I kept getting corrected on that. Both are first… Continue Reading →

Here are quick looks at two upcoming Wii U games:New Super Mario Bros. U and Sing Party. One is the quintessential platformer while the other is a karaoke party game. I kept getting corrected on that. Both are first party titles that will be available for the Wii U at launch on Nov. 18.

New Super Mario Bros. U
There are two New Super Mario Bros. games coming out this year. The first wasNew Super Mario Bros. 2, which was a solid but unspectacular effort on Nintendo 3DS. The sequel was competitive coin collecting wrapped up in the charms of nostalgia. With New Super Mario Bros. U, I’m hoping for a fresher take on platforming.

And judging on what I’ve played so far, it seems the game does change the formula slightly. The upcoming Wii U release tries to bridge the gap between Mario novices and experts. The way Nintendo does this is by giving newcomers a simpler way to play using the Wii U Gamepad. The controller lets them creating platforms for the other players and stun enemies.

Of course, no new Mario title is complete with a new slew of power-ups and New Super Mario Bros. U boasts a balloon-type baby Yoshi and a flying squirrel suit. But the big reveal at the event was Boost Rush Mode.

The new feature is similar to a speed run. Like Gold Rush Mode in New Super Mario Bros. 2, this option lets players choose from several level packs. The pack consist of two or three timed levels.

The big difference between the two is that the Boost Rush Mode is built for multiplayer and that includes the Wii U Gamepad. The goal is to get through the stages with your friends as quickly as possible while collecting coins. The group shares a certain number of lives to do it — usually 10 or 15 — depending on the size of the group. The mode does have Miiverse integration built in. Perhaps, you’ll be able to share your coin count?

The thing is players can’t linger and explore on a level because it is scrolling forward, pushing players to keep up with the fast pace. It gets hectic and there’s some panic involved as players jump over and on top of each other to get through pits or obstacles. Meanwhile, the Wii U Gamepad user has to create platforms and save the occasional misjump. It also offers coin bonuses for players who hit the block.

Sing Party
So with more than 50 songs and a microphone, I assumed that this was a karaoke game. But the folks from Nintendo insisted it wasn’t. They assured me it’s a party game. The difference? The Wii U Gamepad and Sing Party is designed to get everyone involved. Most karaoke games involve one person crooning Billy Joel songs while the others watch the performance.

Sing Party tries to get people involved via sing-a-long, dance and passing the mike. The Wii U Gamepad acts as a guide for the host or performer to get people into the act. It shows the lyrics of the song and offers cues for the star to get the crowd involved. The gamepad will exhort them to get the group clapping or tell the host to cheer on the other participants. There’s even a mock applause meter that shows up after the performance.

From my first impression, it looks similar to any other karaoke game out there. The push for interactivity just changes the perspective of Sing Party ever so slightly. The ability to let others add sounds to their performance via Wii remote is smart but not game changing. It just looks like a perfectly acceptable karaoke game for the fledgling system.